Invitation
by 7.06andcounting
Summary: Asking for help from someone who ruled the boardwalk seemed like a good idea at the time...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, they just keep playing with my mind...**

* * *

_Oh, just leave me alone!_ I'm starting to get mighty pissed off with this jerk. I've tried walking away, pushing through the crowd on the boardwalk, but he's still following me.

"Hey, hot stuff, come party!" He's drunk and obnoxious and I'm totally not in the mood.

I've avoided trouble so far, although I've only been here three days, sleeping on the beach and bumming drinks and cigarettes. A little light shoplifting. What I need now is a full on distraction for this moron. Or better yet, someone to frighten him off for good...someone like that dark haired guy, yeah, time for the 'damsel in distress' act, I think.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I stand here with you?" _Just the right amount of nervousness, with a hint of sass, in my voice. _But as he turns and looks at me, I almost lose my nerve. Jeez, he's gorgeous! I've seen him across the boardwalk before, with his gang, they seem to have some clout, people definitely get out of their way. That's why I picked him, although he's only with the little blond one tonight, not all of them.

"That guy is really bothering me and I thought, if _he_ thought, that I was with you..." I stand a little closer.

He smiles slowly and asks his friend, without taking his eyes off me, "What do you think, Marko? Should we help the lady out?"

The blond guy smirks and says, "Sure."

"Which one?"

"Excuse me?" I was distracted by his eyes, dark brown, almost black.

"Which moron is bothering you?"

"Oh! The skinhead with the tattoo on his neck."

He nods. Then he surprises me, by picking me up by the waist and sitting me on the low wall behind. He doesn't let go of me and he leans in close. "I think we can do better than just standing together. Let's _really_ make him realise he's not welcome..."

He tastes of spice and blackcurrants, bizarrely, his lips cool and hard as he kisses me. It's probably a good thing that he's holding onto me, because I might have fallen off the wall with shock. The blond guy snickers.

Dark Hair nudges my arm, whispering between kisses, "You should probably look like you're into this."

_Into this?_ I can barely think straight and it's no hardship to put my arms around him. He kisses me for a long time and as he moves down to my jaw, kissing along my neck, I get enough breath to ask, "Is he gone?"

"Who?" He doesn't stop nuzzling my neck.

"The skinhead."

"Oh, yeah, him...Yeah, he went ages ago."

_What the hell?_

The blond guy is really laughing now and I make the effort to pull away from the mouth on my neck. Dark Hair looks disappointed, but he lets me down from the wall. I'm having to make an effort to not sway against him. I feel drunk. _I'm the grifter, why do I feel like I've been played?_

"Ok, well, thanks for...getting rid of..." I'm rambling and shut up abruptly.

The crowd parts and the other guys I've seen these two with, the other blond guys, arrive. The one with shorter hair and a mean look, the one I've figured for the boss, narrows his eyes at me.

"We're out of here." He says, in a tone that sounds like an order, stalking away. The guys all follow him without a word, but Dark Hair turns back to me, holding out his hand.

"Come with us."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, they just keep playing with my mind...**

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I stop when I see the motorcycles. What am I thinking? I could end up anywhere, with four guys I don't know. I'd thought maybe they were going to get something to eat, something I could scam them for, but there are plenty of places here on the boardwalk. The wheels add a whole different perspective.

But my hand is still in his and he looks at me with those deep, dark eyes, making it seem as if it would break his heart if I didn't get on the bike, so I'm climbing on behind him before I even ask where we're going. They ride fast and crazy, like they don't even care if they crash. It's all I can do to hold on to him, my face pressed against his leather jacket, my thighs cramping with how much I'm trying to stay on the seat.

I don't do this. I know better. I know how to keep myself safe.

We end up on a part of the beach where the bay curves back around, so the lights of the boardwalk shine across the water. There's a fire going and as we approach, a girl with masses of dark hair stands up. She looks at me with something like hope on her face, which I don't understand, unless she too thought she was in for a five way split.

I stumble in the sand and the tall one with the blond mane grabs my arm to steady me. "Careful," he laughs, leering at me, "We didn't even party yet!"

Dark Hair removes his friend's hand, which is still on my arm. "Mine." He says quietly, but clearly and the blond one holds up his hands, backing off, widening his eyes in mock fear.

"Understood," he grins, cheekily.

I catch a flash of disappointment on the girl's face as she registers what Dark Hair said. I'm only just processing it myself and can't begin to work out what _her_ issue is. Especially since the mean one puts his arm around her, so she can't be Dark Hair's girlfriend.

_This is ridiculous, they must have names. _I introduce myself and he smiles that slow smile, bending closer to reply.

"I'm Dwayne."

There's more than one bottle being passed round. It's not at all cold tonight, so we don't need to sit too near the fire. The cheeky guy, who I hear being called Paul, is trying to goad the one called Marko into a wrestling match, irritating him by flicking sand at him.

Across the firelight, I see the other one staring at me. He creeps me out, not blinking.

"Does your friend ever smile?" I ask Dwayne, "Has he got a problem with me, or something?"

He shifts closer, so I can't tell if it's the booze or that incredible spicy smell of him, making my head spin. He runs his hand up my arm. "Don't take it personally, David doesn't like anyone." He almost kisses me, he's that close to me and I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, I never go for a guy like this, not so quick, not so..._desperate. _I _need _him to kiss me again.

His hand is in my hair and he's easing me back onto the sand, as he continues. "It's probably me that David's pissed at. He normally decides who gets invited back."

"Why did you bring me then?"

"Why did you come?"

We're locked into staring, not replying to each other, when Paul and Marko tumble over our legs whooping and shrieking.

I must be drunk already, because Dwayne is up and on his feet, hauling the other two up by their collars, too fast for me to focus on, faster than is really possible. And he can lift both of them without even trying. He shakes them, the way a wolf disciplines its cubs and they fall away, still laughing but with wary respect in their eyes.

He pulls me up by my hands, whispering, "Let's go somewhere quieter."

"Dwayne!" David's voice snaps.

Dwayne looks at him, stone faced. They stare at each other.

"I think you should stay." David's eyes are like ice, glittering in the firelight.

I can feel the tension coming in waves from Dwayne. Even Paul and Marko have quietened down, watching what is obviously some sort of power play I can't begin to understand.

The girl comes around to my side, pulling me away. We walk down to the water's edge, the rolling waves obscuring the voices behind us.

"What the hell is up with you people?" I've had it with her looking at me sideways.

"You should get out of here," she says, in a sad tone that makes it sound like an impossible dream, rather than a simple suggestion.

"Why? Want them for yourself?" It's catty, but I can't help it.

She shakes her head, "You don't understand. I'd go if I could." Damn right I don't understand. She looks at me and I remember the hope in her eyes when she first saw me. Maybe these guys are some kind of weird sex freaks, after all.

"Well, c'mon," I suggest, "Let's start walking. What's the problem?" Even as I say it, I realise I don't really want to go. If he called me, I'd leave her standing there.

"I thought..for a moment, when I saw you," she sighs, "Maybe David had found someone else...but he won't let me go. And I don't think he'll let Dwayne keep you..."

What the hell? What is she talking about?

"Star!"

Her head whips round at the sound of his voice. She bites her lip. "We'd better go back."

Something's changed at the fire. The party atmosphere has well and truly gone. The four men are standing together.

I'm caught by those deep brown eyes again and I go up to Dwayne. He looks down at me regretfully, his hand in my hair as he pulls me in for a kiss.

It's deep enough to take my breath away. He bends my head back, kissing down to my throat, like he did on the boardwalk. This time though, he whispers in my ear.

"I'm sorry."

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**Still not sure if I should've left it as a one shot...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, they just keep playing with my mind...**

**Apologies to anyone who thought this was done, just a bit more!**

* * *

I want to ask 'what for?' What is he sorry for? But before I can get the words out, before I can even open my mouth, he _growls_. I don't mean he makes any kind of angry noise made by a person, I'm not trying to be descriptive, I don't have time to think of description, I just hear this noise, this animal noise, this deep, ripping _growl_.

And then I know I'm out of my mind, because in this freaky, animal noise I hear the word "NO" and then I'm flying up in the air. I'm stoned, I'm loaded, my drink was spiked with something that has blown my brain into a million pieces. Because I'm flying.

I can't see, because Dwayne has me pressed to his shoulder, covering my eyes completely, his arm around me so tight I can hardly draw breath. But you don't need to see to feel yourself lift off from the ground, to feel the air rushing past you, the headlong movement. I've had dreams before where I thought I was falling off a skyscraper or off a cliff, the kind of dreams where you wake up with a start just before you hit the ground. This is not one of those. This is happening.

And then, my feet hit the ground again and Dwayne shoves me. This is almost more of a shock than the idea of flying. He pushes me away from him so hard that I fall back, flat on my back, what little breath I had, knocked all the way out of me.

"Get away from me!" He rasps in that horrible growl, turning aside from me.

But not before I see him. There's enough moonlight for me to see him, although he tries to hide, hunching over like he's in pain, wrapping his arms around himself.

I'm terrified as I suck in a frantic breath, scrabbling backwards away from the cliff edge, away from him. I can't coordinate my limbs in the desperate need to get away, to get somewhere safe, somewhere else, I'm clawing at the ground beneath me, pushing with my feet, every instinct in me screaming the need to get away. But I can't take my eyes from him.

I hit something, hard, my back and head exploding in pain. It's a tree, the cliff is an overhang from where the pine forest arches down towards the ocean, there are trees here, I can hide. I drag myself to my feet, my back protesting, using the tree trunk for support.

"Wait."

And even now I can't ignore him. His voice is normal again, although the tone is anguished. He walks towards me and I cling to the tree, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my head swimming.

He stops just far away enough that I can see him in the moonlight. He looks...normal. He opens his mouth slightly as if he's going to speak, then his nostrils flare and he licks his bottom lip. He shakes his head sadly. "You're bleeding," he says softly, like all hope is gone.

I feel the back of my head, find it sticky. I hadn't even realized I'd hit it that hard.

"David's coming," he says, "I was supposed...I don't know if I can stop him. If I don't, he'll find you."

I swallow. There are no words. No words for what I saw, what he did, what he's warning me is going to happen.

This is nothing anyone has come back from, I know that, instinctively.

But.

"You saved me."

He looks at me, dark eyes huge under the moon, fixed on me, fixing me to the spot.

"You were supposed to kill me on the beach." I have no idea how I can say that aloud. "You saved me." I repeat urgently. "You can do it again."

He looks over his shoulder suddenly as if he hears something.

Then he's next to me, his hand on my face, his mouth next to my ear. "There is a way, but we don't have any time to wait."

I look at him. And I nod.


End file.
